Jeremy Clarkson names the ‘worst problem’ as Kaleb Cooper issues ‘announcement’

Jeremy Clarkson has spent nearly four decades testing cars, dismissing weak designs, praising clever engineering and offering the kind of verdicts only he can deliver. From supercars to workhorses, few motoring voices in Britain have been as instantly recognisable or as consistently blunt. So when Clarkson picks out the worst problem with a six-figure luxury SUV, people tend to pay attention.

This time, the car under scrutiny was the Maserati Grecale, an Italian performance SUV that Clarkson had been using on regular journeys between London, Cheltenham and Birmingham. On paper, it sounds like the sort of vehicle that should tick many boxes: powerful, refined, expensive and carrying one of Italy’s most desirable badges. Yet for Clarkson, the biggest issue was not hidden under the bonnet, buried in the handling or linked to the in-car technology. It was something far more visible.

According to Clarkson, the single worst aspect of the Grecale was its striking egg-yellow paint finish, an optional extra costing £3,840. In his view, the colour may work beautifully on a glossy magazine cover, where grabbing attention is part of the point. Out on actual roads, however, he felt it created the wrong kind of visibility. Instead of making the car look elegant or distinctive, he suggested it risked turning the driver into a target for puzzled stares and unflattering comparisons.

It was exactly the sort of criticism Clarkson fans would expect from him: sharp, funny and impossible to mistake for polite automotive diplomacy. In a time when so many new vehicles arrive in muted shades of grey, black or silver, the Grecale certainly would not blend into the background. But Clarkson’s point was that standing out is not always a good thing. There is a difference between memorable and awkward, and in his eyes this particular shade pushed the car toward the latter.

Still, Clarkson’s verdict on the Grecale was not entirely negative. Beneath the colourful criticism was a more favourable overall reaction to the SUV itself. He appeared to appreciate much of what the car offered, particularly its approach to modern driver assistance systems. Many motorists have grown frustrated with increasingly intrusive alerts, warning sounds and automated features that seem determined to interrupt rather than assist. Clarkson has long been vocal about his dislike of these systems, so the Grecale earned points for making them easier to disable.

That detail clearly mattered to him. In many newer vehicles, drivers are forced through a tedious set of menus and repeated steps every time they start the engine if they want to turn off speed alerts or other electronic interventions. Clarkson seemed relieved to find that the Maserati provided a relatively simple way around this process. It was, in his eyes, an example of the Italians treating legal requirements with a certain flexibility, meeting the letter of the law while making life easier for the driver.

The review also gained an extra layer of interest because of Clarkson’s route to Birmingham, a city that has recently been given an enthusiastic endorsement by one of the most familiar faces from Clarkson’s Farm. Kaleb Cooper, the breakout star of the Prime Video series, had apparently described Birmingham as the best city in the world, a declaration Clarkson framed as a hilarious announcement. That brief aside added a touch of humour and widened the story beyond a simple car review.

It is that blend of motoring criticism and personality-driven commentary that has kept Clarkson relevant for so long. He rarely discusses a car in isolation. There is always a wider story, whether it is about where he is driving, who he is thinking about, or what larger absurdity the experience has revealed. In this case, the Grecale became more than just a luxury SUV. It became part of a familiar Clarkson world that includes long motorway drives, disdain for annoying technology, and dry observations about the people around him.

That same public image also resurfaced in another anecdote linked to the article, one involving a member of the public whose parking struggles became an unforgettable memory. Marianka Swain, a journalist who has openly described herself as a terrible driver, recalled an agonising attempt to parallel park near her family home. Already upset and under pressure, she was reportedly on her seventh attempt when she heard laughter from outside the car.

Looking up, she saw Clarkson watching her efforts with unmistakable amusement. It was an excruciating moment made worse by the fact that the observer was not just any passer-by, but one of Britain’s most famous motoring presenters. Swain described feeling mortified as Clarkson reacted to her repeated failed attempts. Eventually, defeated, she asked her driving instructor to take over. Clarkson’s reported verdict on the situation was brief and cutting: pathetic.

The anecdote, though embarrassing for Swain, also reinforces the public version of Clarkson that audiences have known for years. He is witty, dismissive, and rarely inclined to soften a remark for the sake of politeness. Whether people find that entertaining or unnecessarily harsh often depends on their view of him. But there is little doubt that the personality seen on Top Gear, The Grand Tour and Clarkson’s Farm still shapes how these smaller personal stories are received.

In that sense, the Maserati Grecale review was never going to be just about the car. It became another example of how Clarkson turns an everyday experience into a broader piece of character-led commentary. A paint colour becomes a public embarrassment. Driver-assistance systems become a symbol of modern motoring frustration. A road trip to Birmingham becomes an opportunity to tease Kaleb Cooper’s unexpected civic loyalty.

For readers, that is part of the appeal. Clarkson remains one of the few motoring writers whose reviews are as much about attitude as engineering. Even when discussing a £113,000 SUV, he is not trying to sound detached or technical for the sake of it. He is telling readers how the car feels in the real world, how it looks, how it irritates, and how it fits into the strange theatre of everyday driving.

The Grecale may have impressed him in several important areas, but the egg-yellow finish was enough to leave a lasting impression for all the wrong reasons. And with Kaleb’s bold Birmingham claim adding comic timing to the story, the result was classic Clarkson: part review, part rant, part character sketch, and entirely unmistakable.